Mythic and Occultist Naming Strategies in Harry Potter

Abstract

Abstract This article looks at the names used in the seven bestselling Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling. The names reverberate with mythic and occultist meanings that complement the characterizations and that, arguably, even guide the narratives themselves: that is, the events in the stories are determinable in part by the names of the characters, which constitute metaphorical cues to the storylines. The naming patterns in the books, in effect, revive the mythic past for the contemporary world in ingenious ways.